If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Don't worry!

Seriously NMc, if there is one thing I could change about this pregnancy (I am now 33 weeks by the way) it would be the amount of time I spent worrying about things like listeria, toxoplasmosis etc, I am sure you will be absolutely fine - feta is ideally best consumed when cooked, like goats cheese, but if it is made from pasteurised milk there is only a very small risk - this is copied from the (British) NHS website:

Soft cheeses that are safe to eat in pregnancy
Other than mould-ripened soft cheeses, all other soft types of cheese are OK to eat provided they're made from pasteurised milk. These include:

Also, when I saw my doctor about the issue I was panicking about, he said though it is often described as symptom-less, he has never encountered anyone with listeriosis who hasn't been really ill so I think a fever would be a minimum indicator. It is so hard to try and tell someone who is gripped by panic not to worry but the fact that you are the first person to respond to my question suggests that actually I was worrying about something not worth responding to lol!

Hi Amelia - thank you for your message! It helped me to get some perspective. I think the hormones and the whole situation just makes me crazy. Its great to hear that all has been fine for you. Also it helps to know the dr said people with listeria are usually really sick. The whole minimal symptoms/no symptoms thing was worrying me too! I'm going to try and not worry so much!

Hiya, glad it made you feel somewhat reassured, honestly that's exactly what causes us to go into panic mode, lack of perspective caused by hormones and that whole having to worry about what you put into your mouth affecting someone other than yourself which even if you have done before, is easier said than done. It was the symptomless aspect of it that had me googling till 1am and went to bed convinced a miscarriage was imminent! Also you were the first person to respond to my question 17 weeks later so although I said I tried to take that as a sign that if I had done something with grave consequences, someone probably would have taken the trouble to reply, it also had me wondering if someone thought whoa, how can I be the one to tell her what a big risk she's exposed herself to! It doesn't help when your less than 12 weeks pregnant either and it's the whole getting to 12 weeks thing to contend with as well but I am sure you will be fine and you won't thank yourself for getting all worked up when you can look back and practically laugh at yourself at 33 weeks :-) Take care x

Also NMc, the doctor said even if I had eaten a pizza which hadn't been treated as respectfully as it might have been, what are the chances of the cheese being contaminated with listeria just at the time that I am pregnant and eating it!

Firstly, I'm so sorry amelia79 that I managed to miss your original post - I'm not sure what happened there. Thank you so much for the information and reassurance you have given to NMc. Yes feta is safe to eat in pregnancy. It is hard to not worry about these things but do keep in mind how very rare listeria is.

I wish you both all the very best with your pregnancies - congratulations.

I was just notified that the case of nectarines that I bought and ate were recalled bc of listeria contamination. I am 21 weeks pregnant and ate about 15-20 nectarines over a weeks time. I ate them about 2 weeks ago. I am now concerned about the listeria contamination and will call my ob tomorrow. I have read that symptons might not appear right away. What should I be looking for?? I am sick to my stomach over eating all those nectarines.

It's great to hear that you feel more comfortable about the issue you were having.
Sometimes we can get easily worried during pregnancy about certain illness, because not only are we concerned about our health but our unborn babies health as well.

Because the symptoms of listeriosis can take a few days or even weeks to appear and can be mild, you may not even know you have it. This is why it's very important to take appropriate food safety precautions during pregnancy.

In pregnant women, listeriosis may cause flu-like symptoms:

Fever
Chills
Muscle aches
Diarrhea
Upset stomach

If the infection spreads to the nervous system, the symptoms may include:

Headache
Stiff neck
Confusion
Loss of balance
Convulsions

Consult a midwife or health care provider if you have these symptoms. A blood test can be performed to find out if your symptoms are caused by listeriosis.

Here is a great article on listeria and pregnancy, I do believe you will find some great information listed here:

If you have eaten food contaminated with Listeria and do not have any symptoms, most experts believe you don’t need any tests or treatment, even if you are pregnant.

However, you should tell your physician or health care provider if you are pregnant and have eaten the contaminated food, and within 2 months experience flu-like symptoms.

During pregnancy, antibiotics are given to treat listeriosis in the mother. In most cases, the antibiotics also prevent infection of the fetus or newborn. Antibiotics are also given to babies who are born with listeriosis.

The cases of listeria are few and far between.
I do believe that if you have any like symptoms you can easily contact your midwife or health care provider and review any concerns with him or her.

I do hope that you are feeling much better now and continue to enjoy foods that satisfy your pallet.
Please do let us know how you are feeling!

Thanks ljmarsden the fact that as sunnymumof5 says you still only need to seek medical advice IF yo have any of the flu like symptoms associated with listeria, when a product has actually been recalled at risk thereof, should make for some real reassurance. One thing I was never able to find a satisfactory answer to was the question of whether Listeria bacteria can spread to other foods without actually touching them, I.e. if food had been put in the fridge that was by some chance contaminated, if something had been left a bit unwrapped but not in any way able to come into contact with a contaminated item, would cross contamination even be possible? Thanks for all the kind, helpful comments since this thread was resurrected! X

Good to hear from you again. How are you feeling in your pregnancy? Can we help you with any other questions or support birth or newborn baby related?

My understanding is that the listeria bacteria can continue to grow and multiply in the fridge and it can spread to other food through spills and contact. For example, the bacteria could get onto the part of the fridge the contaminated food was placed on and then future food placed in this spot would also get contaminated. If something was a bit unwrapped the bacteria could get out onto the fridge.

I am 5 weeks pregnant and have Crohn's Disease. I have been sick with diarrhea and nausea since Friday. I don't know if it's the crohns reacting to the hormone change. I am concerned that I have gotten listeria. I have ate ham sandwiches and salami before I knew I was pregnant. I contacted my gastro doctor and she hasnt called me back yet. Anyone's imput would be helpful pleasr.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I'm sorry to hear you have felt unwell since Friday - I would certainly advise contacting your doctor again.

Ham is safe to eat in pregnancy. There is an extremely small risk of contracting listeria or toxoplasmosis when you eat cured meats (such as salami) in pregnancy, however, this risk is so small that some pregnancy advice boards now do not completely rule out eating salami in pregnancy.

I am 13 weeks pregnant. I have 2 beautiful/healthy daughters. With my first daughter I followed every rule to a t, but saw that my other pregnant friends would eat cold cut sandwiches with no worries. 5 years later, their children are still healthy. With my 2nd pregnancy I bent the rules slightly and had a cold cut sandwich here and there. My daughter is 3 and perfectly healthy. So when I became pregnant with baby #3, I felt more comfortable with eating cold cuts. Also by this time I had witnessed many pregnant Moms doing the same and know their kids are healthy too. I admit that I have eaten cold cut sandwiches 1-2x/week. mainly for the convenience and bc I was so tired of PBJ everyday. I'm a working Mom, so my time is limited to prep/think about what I'm going to eat for lunch. I have not experienced any complications/or symptoms of listeria. However, I decided to re-check why it was that pregnant women should not eat cold cuts during pregnancy. Now that I have reread the information I am worried sick and so mad at myself. I consider it luck that my friends and I have had healthy babies when we risked things by eating known potential risky foods. I vow that going forward, I am back to PBJ every day if I have to, but definitely no cold cuts. My worry is that if I do not show any symptoms in the days to come, could my baby have been affected and I wouldn't know it until birth or maybe even months after birth? Or is it safe to assume that if I did not show any symptoms of listeria, the baby did not get infected? Should I get blood work done just to be sure? Will the Dr. even approve of testing my blood based on a possibility? Please help shed some light on my babies risk if I am not showing any symptoms.

Id like to encourage you to look back though this post and you will find some great information about listeria, its causes and cures.

Im positive you will be much more comfortable about the illness once you have read up on it.
A few mums have taken the time to thoroughly research the illness and have provided some great information in this thread.

Please read back through and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Looking forward to hearing from you.

I too have been worried about listeria throughout my pregnancy and I just ate a bite of raw sheeps milk cheese. Im hoping I haven't contracted listeria. I worry my baby will be born stillborn or with a serious problem

Does anyone know if this is possible? Should I get tested? If so, when? I know symptoms dont start for awhile. Im 29 weeks pregnant. Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi nky1980 - I am in a similar position to you but have been a lot worse and feel sooooo stupid! I have been eating goats cheese regularly for 3 months, thinking it was pasteurised - most of it was but some of it wasn't. I was at a restaurant a week ago and they put goats cheese in the hot sauce of my pasta dish - I phoned a few days later to check and they said it was unpasteurised. Since I found out, I had v mild headache, mild nausea, a sore throat for 2 days and feel like I have chills but not sure - this may be all in my head but maybe not. I am so paranoid now I am obsessed with it and what I may have done. I phoned my doctor and spoke to hospital doctor and no one seems worried (They said they see 1 case every 2 years, but maybe because most people aren't as stupid as me!). This only reassures me for a while then I start googling and getting stressed again. I am 30 weeks pregnant with twins. Can anyone give me advice - is the blood test specifically for listeria or just increase in white blood cells that shows infection?
Thanks for any help!!
Sue